Finding out where sewage spills have taken place is as easy as picking up the phone. Just call the Wilmington regional office for the N.C. Division of Water Quality at (910) 796-7215 and ask for the surface water protection section, said Susan Massengale, spokeswoman for the agency.
The state also encourages you to call the same number if you see something you consider suspicious.
“We can’t be everywhere, and we are very happy to have an active citizenry,” Massengale said. “We’d be more than happy to have their input.”
Date posted: August 13, 2009
User-contributed question by:
Anonymous
Swimming and & Shellfish Water Quality Links
Sewage Spills and stormwater runoff transport harmful pathogens into our local water bodies and degrade water quality. Some of the harmfull pathogens and other pollutants get flushed out of our creeks, while others remain and often settle into the bottom sediments of the water bodies. If those sediments get disturbed by storms, dredging, heavy boat activity, the pollutants can get resusupended and pose a danger.
For more info on swimming advisories and shellfish water quality you can go to:
Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Section PO Box 769 Morehead City, NC 28557-0769 Phone: (252) 726-6827 Fax: (252)726-8475 or http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/shellfish/index.htm
UNCW Aquatic Ecology Lab’s has done extensive research on this issue and our local water bodies. They have a lot of info on thier webpage:
http://www.uncw.edu/cmsr/aquaticecology/Laboratory/